Half to william purves



(No Model.)

WQL. DE GRACE.

THILL COUPLING.

Patented July 14, 189.6.

- Inn- 672% UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn 'WIIJLIAM L. DE GRACE, OF NORTH SYDNEY, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I'IALF TO WILLIAM PURVES, OF SAME PLACE.

THlLL-COU PLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,846, dated July 14, 1896. Application filed November 18, 1895. Serial No. 569,814, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: down to a horizontal position, or approxi- Be it known that I, IL-LIAM L. DE GRACE, mately so, the said cam will move in said a citizen of Canada, residing at North Sydney, groove or recess, so that there will be no liain the county of Cape Breton and Province of bility for lateral displacement. In order to 55 N ova Scotia, Canada, have invented certain prevent vertical displacement of the parts, or new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couprearward movement of the thill, I provide a lings; and I do declare the following to be a plate D. This plate is adjustably secured to full, clear, and exact description of the inventhe under side of the thill-iron C by means tion, such as will enable others skilled in the of bolts E and F and nuts or other suitable 60 art to which it appertains to make and use the fastening devices.

same. The forward portion of the clip A is rounded This invention relates to improvements in on its under side, as shown at g, and the conthill-couplings, and its novelty and many adtiguous side of the plate D has a curvature vantages will appear from the following decorresponding with that of the outer side of 65 1 5 scription and claims when taken in connecthe curved portion a of the clip, and this plate tion with the annexed drawings, in which- D is secured to the thill-iron at such a disv Figure l is a cross-sectional View of an axle, tance with respect to the curved or hook porshowing my improvements in longitudinal tion 6 of the thill-iron as to permit the intro section and attached thereto with a thill duction of the hooked or curved end of the 70 2o partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a side view of clip between the same. By the employment the improvements, showing the same in the of this plate D it will be seen that the thills, act of being coupled with parts broken away. while in a horizontal or approximately hori- Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in the plane zontal position, will be prevented from rising indicated by the dotted line on Fig. 1; or moving rearwardly, while the cam projec- 7 5 2 5 and Fig. 4 is a broken perspective view of the tion cooperating with the groove or recess in improvements, showing the same uncoupled. the clip-plate will absolutely prevent any lat- Referring by letter to said drawings, A inoral movement of the parts. While the foredicates a clip which is shackled to an axle B going is true, it will be observed that when in the usual manner. This clip projects forthe thills are raised to a vertical or approxi- 8o 0 wardly of the axle, as shown, and has its forinately vertical position and then lifted the ward end terminating in an upwardly-curved thill-iron C and plate D will be disengaged branch a. On the inner or upper side of this from the clip A. As in practice the frictional curved branch, and extending into the horiparts become worn, which would result in a zontal portion of the clip, is a groove or reloosejoint of the coupling and consequent rat- 8 5 5 cess Z), This groove, which opens at the free tling of the same, I provide the plate D with end of the curved portion a, preferably inslots it instead of holes, so that as the parts creases in depth at an intermediate point in become worn the plate may be set closer to its length and tapers toward its inner end, as the hook or curved portion carrying the cam shown at 0. projection, and thereby tighten the connec- 9o G indicates the thill-iron. This iron, which tion of the parts. It will be observed that is secured to the thill (Z in the usual manner, whilethe bolt e goes straight through the thillhas its rear end terminatingina downwardlyiron and plate D the bolt F passes through curved portion or hook e, and this hook or rearwardly oblique,theslots being formed in curved portion is provided centrally with a this oblique or inclined manner, so that the 5 depending curved portion or cam f, which is bolt may be more effectively operated in tightdesigned to enter the groove 0r recess 1) of the ening the joint or connection. clip A. By having this portion f of a cam IVhile I have shown and described the clip shape it will be seen that the thill must be as having the groove or recess, and the thillraised to a perpendicular position, or nearly iron as having the cam pro jection, yet it is 013- I00 so, before such cam can enter the groove or vious that this arrangement may be reversed recess Z) of the clip, and by letting the thill by placingthe groove or recessin the thill-iron and the projection inthe clip, and I 3111 also aware that other modifications may be made in the construction of the parts without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, What I claim is- I 1. In a thill-coupling, the combination of the clip having its forward end hooked or 2. The thilliron having its rear end providedwith a downwardly-carved portion or hook and a cam projection on the forward side and end of said curved portion or hook, in combination with the clip having the upwardly-curved portion or hook and a recess in the inner or upper side of said hook to re- 7 ceive the earn projection, and the plate having the slots as described and also having a curvature corresponding to the outer surface of the curved portion or hook of the clip, and

the bolts for adjustably securing the plate to the thill-iron, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' WVM. L. DE GRACE.

\Vitnesses:

J'No. J. FORBES, JOHN D. HoWoLsoN. 

